Holding My Hand
by LadyBugGirl
Summary: You're a spoiled little rich girl whose always had someone holding your hand! Well you know what? No one’s going to hold your hand in LA! You’re going to starve and when you come crying back to me I’ll...I’m gonna...let you. Please don't go." All Human
1. The One With The Flashback

**If I owned Twilight, I would be working on Midnight Sun right now, not a fan fiction. So there you go. I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.**

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**-**

I looked around. Ugh. This apartment was officially the crappiest place I have ever lived. I felt tears welling up behind my eyes, but I held them back. I could do this. I could. I didn't need my parents. I didn't need anybody.

And of course, it helped that I wasn't actually _living_ here. But, you know, I needed a place to sleep until I could find an apartment, and with little money this craptastic hotel was the best I could do.

My phone rang, and my hand automatically shot toward my pocket so fast that I nearly ripped at hole in it.

"Hello!?" I said quickly.

"Bells?" a concerned voice asked on the other end.

"Angela!" I cried with relief. There was no holding back the tears now.

"Oh Belly!" she cried. "I'm so sorry! Just come back!"

"No Angie," I said, trying my best to stop the tears that were now flowing freely. "I can do this. I _have_ to do this."

"Bella!" she yelled, exasperated. "This is crazy! You don't have to prove anything to anyone! Just come back to Forks!"

I shook my head, knowing she couldn't see me. "No. I do have to prove this. If not the my parents then to myself. I need to know that I can take care of myself."

She was silent. "But you can't!" she yelled. I sighed. I didn't want a repeat of the other night.

"Angela, I need your support, and if that's too much to ask, I'm hanging up."

"Fine. Starve yourself. See if I care."

I sighed again. "Fine then-"

"No! Bella, I didn't mean it! Don't hang up! You know I just want what's best for you! I swear, I didn't mean that the ay it sounded. But Bella-" she seemed at a loss for words.

"Look, Angie, I want to talk to you, but I need to look for a job, okay?" I said.

I could practically hear her nodding. I knew Angela, and she would do anything to avoid an argument. Except for the other night of course…

FLASHBACK TIME!!

"_Angie," I sobbed, standing on her doorstep._

"_Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "Bellsie, what's wrong!?"_

"_My grandma…" was all I could manage to say. It was enough._

"_Oh Honey," she said soothingly, hugging me. "She was so old. And she was sick. We all saw it coming."_

_I sniffed, trying to control the tears. "I'm going to Los Angeles," I said matter-of-factly._

"_What!?" she cried. "Bella that's insane!"_

"_Emmett's the only family I have Angie," I said quietly._

"_I'm your family!' she yelled. "You can stay with me for as long as you want!"_

"_I can't do that Ange," I said. "I need to prove that I can live on my own."_

"_No you don't!" she said softly, rubbing my arm sympathetically, as if she thought this was the hysteria talking, and once I was calm I would see sense._

_As if._

"_Yes. I do. Angela, I've never so much as buttered my own toast. I can't keep living like that."_

"_Fine! I'll charge you for rent! You can do your own laundry! Just don't go!"_

"_I have to prove that I can live on my own, you know, make it in a big city."_

"_You can't!" she yelled, jumping off the couch. "You'll starve to death!"_

"_Is that what you think!?" I yelled, standing up too. "You don't think I can do anything on my own!?"_

"_You can't! you're a spoiled little rich girl whose always had someone holding your hand! Well you know what!? No one's going to hold your hand in LA! You're going to starve, and when you come crying back to me, I'll…I'm gonna…let you." She hung her head. "Don't leave," she whispered._

"_I have to," I said, hugging her. "I came to say goodbye. My flight leaves in two hours."_

"_Ange?" a voice asked from down the hall._

"_Uh, in here Ben," she called to her boyfriend._

_He walked in, rubbing his eyes. He looked at me, then at Angela, then back to me, apparently trying to comprehend out hysterical sobbing._

"_Angela, are you okay? Bella?"_

"_Bella's leaving," Angela said angrily._

"_What, why?"_

"_My grandmother…she…passed away," I mumbled, trying to hold back a new round of tears._

"_Oh my god, Bell, I'm sorry."_

"_I'm going to LA. My brother's all I really have now."_

_He nodded, understanding. "If that's what you think is best."_

_We both stared at him incredulously. "What!?" we asked at the same time._

_He shrugged. "Bella needs to do this. Her parents can't be there for her, and her grandmother's been taking care of her. No one's going to take care of her anymore. She needs to be able to do that by herself."_

"_Wow Ben," Angela said. The look on her face was pure adoration. Out of nowhere, a pang of sadness hit me. _I want that_, I thought to myself. Not Ben, of course, but someone who could be the Ben to my inner Angela. I laughed out loud at the thought of my "inner Angela"._

"_What?" they asked, worry obvious on their faces._

_I shook my head. "Nothing," I said. "Crap, I have to go. Airport security and all that."_

"_Oh," Angela said. "W-when will I see you again?"_

_I hugged her. "As soon as I have the money for the plane ticket," I assured her._

"_Hell no!" she exclaimed. "I'm going to see you before that! Because you still have to buy furniture and an apartment, and find a job, but, uh, not in that order…" she looked like she had lost her point. "Oh! But, uh, anyway, I will drive all night if I have to, but not a month is going to pass before I see you again!"_

_I grinned and hugged my childhood best friend one last time before I made my way out into the world…_

_And then, you know, I hugged Ben, because I'd known him for a long time too._

END OF FLASHBACK TIME!!

I sighed. I guess it had just barely dawned on me that life was never going to be the same again. Ever.

I took a deep breath. Ok, I thought, do I look for a job first or a roommate?

I thought about it. Then, as if answering my question, there was a loud thumping noise coming from the ceiling. Then from the floor. Then the ceiling…Jesus, were these people like having a thumping war!?

Roommate it is.

-

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I walked down to the Valero **(AN: I don't know if there are Valero's in LA, cuz I haven't been to LA in a while, but go with it, okay?) **and bought a newspaper. I looked under the **(Classifieds? I don't know what section roommate ads are in.) **for someone who was looking for a roommate. I saw a couple of promising looking ads.

**Emily Uley**

**Female, Age 25**

**Looking for female roommate**

**Nurse, works nights.**

**Looking for someone who**

**doesn't make a lot of noise**

**or throw parties.**

I could do that. I never threw parties, and "loud" was the last word I would use to describe myself.

**Alice Brandon**

**Female, Age 23**

**Looking for female roommate**

**Looking for work**

**Apartment with 2 bedrooms,**

**2 bathrooms,**

**Kitchen, and living room.**

**Rent: 150/month**

That sounds good. It'd be good to live with someone who's already got an apartment, that way we don't have to worry about apartment hunting and job hunting. I didn't want to live with someone without a job, but at least she couldn't judge me for that same thing. And we could help each other look for work.

**Jessica Stanley**

**Female, Age 23**

**Looking for Female/Male roommate**

**Waitress**

**Apartment with 2 bedrooms,**

**1 bathroom,**

**Kitchenette,**

**And living room.**

**Rent: 200/month**

I wouldn't choose her over the Alice girl, but if she chose a different roommate, Jessica was a possibility. But the rent was more for a smaller apartment!

I called Emily first. She told me she'd already found a roommate and apologized. I told her it was fine, and I still had some other options open. Then I crossed her name out on the newspaper.

I called Jessica second. She told me to meet her at her apartment around two thirty. I looked at my watch. It was only one now, so I still had some time.

Then I called Alice. She sounded relieved when I told her I was calling in reference to her add. She told me to meet her at her apartment around five.

I went back to the apartment to change out of my sweats and fix my hair. After that it was still only one fifteen. I decided I should pay a visit to my older brother.

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I took a deep breath, wondering how he was going to react to seeing me in LA. He'd always overplayed the protective big brother part, and I hadn't told him I was moving., I doubted he even knew about grandma.

I knocked. Silence for a moment. Then, "Emmett, get your ass off the couch and go open the door!" Who was that? I couldn't wonder for too long though, because the door opened.

"Hel-Bella!?" he cried, wrapping me into a huge bear hug.

"Emmet!" I gasped. "Need…air!"

He laughed and let go of me. "I didn't know you were coming to visit me!" he exclaimed, grinning.

"Well, uh, actually," I said uncomfortably. "I'm sort of meeting some possible roommates hear in the city…" I mumbled the last part, looking away.

"What!?" he cried. "Bella, this is L freaking A! You've never even been on your own in Forks before!"

"Emmett!" I yelled. "I get that you want to protect me, but I'll be alright, okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah, okay," he said. Then he grinned. "And hey, at least now you're a lot closer for me to protect!"

I laughed.

"Emmett?" the same voice asked that had told Emmett to get the door. "Who's there."

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "Just a sec!"

"Rose!" he called, running into his apartment. "Rose come here!"

He came back to the door, pulling a gorgeous blonde by the arm. I mean, supermodel gorgeous. She was, like, five eight, with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. I felt intimidated just looking at her.

"Oh my god!" she cried, smiling. "You must be Bella! You look just like your picture!" Then she frowned and said, "Okay, that was stupid, forget I said that, of course you look like your picture."

I laughed, a little uncomfortably.

"Bella," Emmett said. "This is Rosalie, my girlfriend."

I smiled. "It's nice to meet you," I said, holding my hand out. She shook it, then hugged me. It was a little awkward, but I had a feeling we would get along alright.

After that I went inside their apartment. We sat on the couch. It was silent for a moment, but then Emmett said, "So, uh, Bells, why are you here?"

I sighed. I was hoping it wouldn't come up, but Emmett knew me too well to know that I would leave Forks unprovoked.

"Grandma died," I said, unemotionally. I had given up crying after I shed my last tear this morning. There was no time for that.

"Oh," was all he said, but I could tell he was dazed.

I pursed my lips. "I needed to get out of Forks. It was suffocating me. And I've always had someone holding my hand. I couldn't do that anymore."

He nodded. "I get it," he said. "I guess that's why I left too…" he trailed off. We didn't really talk much about the day he left…

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment, before Rosalie said, "So Bella, Emmett tells me you sing!"

I smiled. "Talking about my again," I said, shaking my head in mock disappointment. "Tsk, tsk, tsk." I laughed. "Yeah, I sing a little."

Emmett guffawed. "A little!? You used to drive everyone crazy singing in the shower. Not that she's even the slightest bit bad, but she used to get up at five thirty in the morning!"

We laughed, and after that we made small talk and reminisced about the past. Suddenly, I looked at my watch and realized if I didn't leave I was going to be late for my meeting with Jessica.

"Oh crap," I said. "I have to go!"

"Do you want a ride?" Emmett asked, his voice filled with big brotherness. I smiled.

"No, it's just a little ways away from here. But thanks."

I grinned all the way to Jessica's apartment. It had been so great to see my brother again. I hadn't seen him since the last time my life majorly changed…

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**Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know! Seriously, I want to know everything you thought while thinking it! Reviews literally make my day. I wake up in the morning and automatically check Yahoo for any new fan fiction emails. Yeah, it's pathetic, but summer is BORING! LOL, anyway, review! The button is shiny! Well, maybe not, but I made you look!**


	2. The One With Steve

"Hey there! I'm Jessica Stanley! You can call me Jess!"

I was standing in the doorway of a preppy brunette girl who looked about my age. I internally smacked myself on the forehead. Of course she looked my age. She _was _my age.

"Hi, I'm Isabella Swan, but you can call me Bella.

"Bella," she said, as if she were sampling how it sounded. Then she grinned. "I love that name! I think we're going to be great friends!"

I wasn't sure if I liked this girl. She seemed a little to…peppy for my liking. But I couldn't be judging people right now. I was broke. In LA. And basically alone.

Yeah.

"So," Jessica said. "What do you do?"

"I'm still looking for a job," I said.

Her face fell for a moment, and then it was back to it's smiling peppiness.

"Oh," she said. "That's okay. Um, what do you like to do?"

"Well, I'm really into singing. I read a lot too. I don't really like parties or anything."

Her face dropped again, and when she regained her smile, it didn't quite reach her eyes anymore. Crap.

"So, um, would you have people over much?" she asked, and i detected a desperate note in her voice.

"No, I don't really know anyone here, except for my brother, and he lives really close with his girlfriend, so I could go to their place. I guess I just kind of keep to myself."

"Oh," she said, sounding disappointed. Then she looked at her cell phone. "Would you look at that!" she exclaimed. "I have got to get ready for work or I'm going to be late again. Um, I still have a few more people to see, so I'll cal you, okay?"

I nodded, silently praying that my interview with the other girl would go well.

-

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-

I had two hours between meeting Jessica and meeting Alice, and I really didn't want to go back to my hotel room. I found a park with an empty bench and not a lot of people. I pulled out one of my favorite books, Wuthering Heights, and opened it to a random page. It didn't really matter where I started, I pretty much had the whole thing memorized.

I don't know how long I'd been reading when a large dog suddenly jumped up on my lap, licking my face. I laughed.

"Hi there!" I said to the dog. He seemed friendly enough. I peered closely at his collar. "Do you have a name?"

"Steve."

I stared at the dog incredulously, shaking my head. "Oh my god," I said. "I'm going insane. I could have sworn you just told me your name was Steve!"

A voice laughed, and I looked over "Steve" to see a blonde guy with blue eyes grinning at me.

"Oh," I said, as I felt my face turning red. "Well at least I'm not going crazy."

"I'm Mike," the guy said said.

"I'm Bella," I said. Steve started licking my face again.

"Oh!" Mike exclaimed. "Sorry," he said, blushing, pulling Steve away.

"Stupid dog," he said. "Good Steve," I heard him mumble under his breath. I laughed, and his face turned even redder when he realized that I'd heard him.

"Uh," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I'm Mike," he said, extending his hand.

I laughed shaking it. "Bella," I said again, looking at him with my eyebrows raised. He smacked his forehead.

"Yeah," he said, "I'm an idiot. So, now that small talk is out…uh...do you wanna go out some time?" he asked. He bit his lip, and I could tell by his voice that he was totally prepared for me to say no. I sighed. He seemed nice enough, but not really my type. How could I tell that? The Hollister shirt, massive amounts of hair gel, and the fact that he'd asked me out when he barely knew me. Not my type.

"Actually, I just moved here. I'm still trying to get around, and I don't really…" I trailed off, letting him fill in the blanks on his own.

"I could show you around sometime," he said quickly. Then his face turned red and he pursed his lips. "And, on that desperate sounding note, me and Steve will just leave you alone."

He smiled. I gave him a little wave before looking at my phone. Four thirty already? Crap!

I started walking to Alice's apartment.

-

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-

"Hello?"

I was face to face with a short girl with spiky black hair. "Hi," I said. "I'm Bella. We spoke one the phone."

"Oh of course!" she said, grinning. "I'm Alice. And well, this is my apartment!"

I smiled, looking inside. She obviously liked to decorate. The living room was orange, but not bright annoying orange, and had paintings hung on ever wall. The carpet was yellowish-white. I smiled.

"Uh, do you want to sit down?" she asked.

"Okay," I said, sitting on the couch. It was a light reddish pink color.

"Okay, I'm not going to lie to you," she said, her voice serious. I could see the nervousness in her eyes. "I _need_ a roommate. I can't afford this place on my own, and my sister Cynthia just got married. I don't throw parties, you can have anything in the fridge as long as you help stock it, and you can decorate your room however you want."

I grinned. "That sounds great! I mean, I really need a roommate too. I'm staying at this crappy little rundown hotel. I'm not loud either, but I don't care if you have people over, as long as it's not, like, real loud past nine or ten o'clock."

Alice grinned appreciatively at me. "So, it's a deal? One hundred fifty a month?"

"It's a deal," I said. We shook hands.

"This is great!" she exclaimed. "Do you have a car?"

I shook my head. "No, why?"

"In that case I will give you a ride to go get your stuff," she said decisively.

"You don't have to-" I started, but Alice cut me off.

"I insist," she said. "You really helped me out of a tough spot. Just let me call Jasper, because I don't actually have a car either…"

She pulled out a cell phone a pressed a few buttons.

"Jazzy?" she said.

There was a pause.

"It went great! Yeah, she's here right now!"

Pause.

"Yeah, I know! So, uh, that's what I wanted to talk to you about-"

...

"Please?"

...

"Pretty please?"

...

"Thank you! Love you, bye!"

...

"He'll be here in a minute," she said happily, smiling at me.

I raised my eyebrows at her, and she grinned evilly.

"Wow," I said. "You've got him whipped."

She laughed, but didn't deny it. "Yeah, well, he owes me. No, actually he doesn't, but he loves me, so he'll drive me."

I laughed. I had a feeling me and Alice were going to get along great.

-

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The front door opened about twenty minutes later.

"Oh, by the way Bella," Alice said. "If the door just randomly opens and it's not me, it's probably Jasper, okay? Will that freak you out? He has a key…"

I shook my head. "No, it's fine," I said.

She looked relieved. I had a feeling it would be a while before she stopped worrying that I was going to pack up and leave.

"Hey Al," a voice said behind me. I turned to see a gorgeous blonde guy with hazel eyes looking at me. He smiled. "You must be Bella," he said easily. "I'm Jasper." He held out his hand and I shook it.

"Come on!" Alice said happily. "Let's go get Bella's stuff from her crappy little hotel room!"

-

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-

"Find anything?"

"Uh…Does absolutely nothing count as something?"

It was a little strange, in a good way. I'd known Alice for four hours, and we were sitting at her kitchen table, eating Doritos, and looking through the newspaper for jobs like we were old friends.

"Ooh!" she said, pointing to her newspaper. "What about this!?"

"Hmm," I said, "Maybe. It all depends on _what it says_, since your finger is covering it."

"Oh," she said, laughing. "Right. It's a hotel. They're just opening, and they need people who work in the lobby and waiters! We can do that!"

"Yeah," I agreed. "It'd be an easy job, and we don't need that much experience. Let's call."

And so that's how we got job interviews the next day. Mine at four and hers at four-thirty.


	3. The One With The Interview

"I'm nervous," Alice said for the MILLIONTH TIME.

"Don't be," I said. "It's going to be fine."

Jasper looked bored. And not like, I-want-to-leave bored, but I'M-GOING-TO-FALL-ASLEEP-ANY-MINUTE bored.

"Isabella McCarty?" **(AN: I like Swan, but since they're brother and sister, I had to choose one, so I chose Emmett's last name.) **the woman behind the desk asked. I nodded and stood up.

"Right this way," she said, leading me down a hallway into a little office.

"Hello," said a kind looking woman behind a large desk. "I'm Sure Clearwater."

I smiled. "I'm Isabella Swan, but you can just call me Bella."

"Well, Bella, let's get down to business. I'm not going to lie, your resume isn't great. You haven't had a whole lot of experience. However, we are incredibly short-staffed, and as long as you can serve food or stand behind a desk and push buttons on a computer, you're hired."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Just like that?" I asked. She smiled. "Just like that," she said.

"Wow," I said. "You're really short staffed?" I asked, making sure. She nodded.

"That's sort of a relief. My roommate, she's next, is REALLY nervous."

Sue smiled. "Ok, so I'll see you at ten o'clock on Monday."

I nodded. When I walked back out into the lobby, Alice grabbed Jasper's arm, and he almost fell out of his chair.

"Alice Brandon?" the woman asked in a bored monotone.

She stood up and walked into Sue's office.

About five minutes later, she came running back out, her arms wide-open. I swear, it was like a comedy movie, her arms wide open, running, Jasper opens his arms and Alice runs to me and gives me a huge hug. I laughed so freaking hard.

-

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-

So here I am. I can't believe I'm sitting here, in my apartment, with a job, when three days ago I'd been this spoiled little girl, living with her grandma because she's too scared to go out into the world.

I loved my grandma more than anything, and her death had ripped me apart. But now I was out. I had been forced into the world, and so far, I was loving it. I can do this!

"Bella?" Alice asked. "What do you want for dinner?"

Aha! A new challenge!

-

-

-

Alice and I stared at the fire extinguisher wordlessly. Then we looked at each other, then back at the stove, then at the pan of now unidentifiable goo, then back at each other.

And then we started laughing hysterically.

"You burned it!" she cried, laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes.

"You set it on fire!" I countered, leaning against the table for support so I didn't fall over laughing.

"You put it in the pan!"

Then the door opened. "Hey ladies, what's-What the hell!?" Jasper came running into the kitchen. He looked around, then at us, still laughing hysterically, then at the fire extinguisher, his eyes growing wide. Then he looked at the empty package of Ramen Noodles and he collapsed in a fit of laughter.

And we sat like that for ten minutes, the three of us in the kitchen, laughing at our idiotic selves. How do you even set Ramen Noodles on fire!? _I_ don't even know-and we just did it!

-

-

-

"Are you ready?" I ask Alice as we prepare for our first day working at the hotel. We got up a little early, even though neither of us set an alarm. Nerves. And excitement. I had been brushing my hair when Alice had come in and dragged me into her bathroom, which was bigger than mine, with the counter covered in hair stuff and make-up.

It was so strange. I'd never been one to make friends quickly, but Alice and I just clicked. We had almost nothing in common!

She straightened my hair, then looked at it, bit her lip, and tilted her head. I wasn't sure what that meant, but a moment later she sat me down and stood behind me, French braiding my hair. After that, she took the hair band out, then panicked.

"Bella!" she yelled.

"What!?" I asked, thinking she must have somehow cut my hair off with as much panic as she had in her voice.

"I took the hair band out of the perfect braid!"

"What?" I asked, confused. "Why did you take it out then?"

"Stop talking! I might be able to save it!"

"Aha!" she exclaimed, swinging her arms out, knocking over the still hot straightening iron. We screamed, though it didn't fall anywhere near us. Then we laughed at ourselves.

So here we are now, at the hotel, ten minutes to ten, ready for our first day at work. I was glad that me and Alice were on the same page here. We both came from rich families and wanted to get out and see the world. Without Daddy's money. Not easy.

We walked in together, and we were automatically greeted by Sue, a huge smile on her face.

"I think we've finally got enough staff members. It's been so crazy! People running all over to make things work! But now with you two, our other new waitresses, Jessica and Lauren, and waiters, James and Laurent, plus my two kids, Leah and Seth, I think we'll be alright!"

I grinned. "So, where do we start?" I asked. She showed us to the kitchen, and introduced us to the people who would be training us. A really cute guy named James was training Alice, and a girl named Tanya was training me.

"So then you put the dirty trays here," she said, pointing to a counter. "But if they aren't dirty, just spray them with this and use it again," she said, holding up a bottle of disinfectant.

I nodded, wanting to fully understand everything. I really wanted to be good at this job.

"Now, ordinarily," Tanya said, "I'd be training you for a week. But as you know we're really short staffed, and those girls," she pointed to two girls who looked totally lost, one of whom I recognized as Jessica, the girl I interviewed as a roommate, "really need help. So I'll watch you for about twenty minutes, and if you do fine, you passed training!"

I grinned. This was going great! I mean, obviously waitressing isn't my dream job, but if it pays and I seem to be good at it, it'll do!

I walked out to take the order of a gorgeous bronze haired guy with bright green eyes. Seriously, if I hadn't been so focused, I could have sat there all day staring into his eyes.

But of course I shook away that thought immediately, because he was a customer.

"Hello," I said. "My name's Bella and I'll be your server for today."

"Hi, I'm Edward."

"Can I get you something to drink? Any appetizers?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "I'll have a Coke."

"Okay," I said, writing it down on my little pad of paper. "Are you ready to order, or do you need a few more minutes?"

"I-" but he was cut off by a high-pitched voice squealing his name.

Alice? I thought. What the hell?

"Bella, this is my brother Edward. Edward, this is my roommate, and, oh yeah, _what the hell are you doing here_!?"

He grinned. "I just wanted to come see my baby sister at her new job," he said, feigning hurt.

"Yeah," she said. "Well not all of us can be going to medical school!"

He looked at her as though she were insane. "What are you talking about? You act as if Mom and Dad kicked you out or something!"

"Well, maybe I couldn't live the life they wanted me to have."

"Guys!" I said loudly. "As much as I love sibling arguments-not-I'm being watched by my trainer, and if I spend too much time over here, I won't pass." I pointed to Tanya, and Edward went pale.

I walked back over and as soon as I got to the kitchen, Tanya plucked the order sheet out of my hand. "I'll take this one," she said, handing me another sheet.

I watched her walk over to Edward, fixing her hair. I looked over at the table I was supposed to be serving. They were having a loud, animated discussion. They wouldn't mind if I took a moment. I stepped closer so I could hear Tanya and Edward.

"Hey Eddie," she said seductively.

"Uh, hi Tanya," he said awkwardly.

"So, can I get you anything?" she said suggestively, leaning over the table so he could see her chest.

Wow! That girl mad a total 180! She seemed so nice when I met her, and all of a sudden, she's this total slut!

"Look, Tanya," Edward said. "We broke up, end of story."

Whoa! Then again, I could see that. Beautiful blonde, gorgeous Greek god! They go together. But she was acting pretty slutty to get him back.

"Oh, come on," she said. "You know you still love me. We can work things out."

"Tanya, I don't think this is the place for that," he said. She frowned, and actually took his order.

The rest of the day passed quickly. I passed my training, and laughed as Lauren and Jessica spilled an entire tray of drinks on themselves.

When we got home, Alice and I were exhausted. But we grinned at our job well done.

"Popcorn and a movie?" she suggested. I nodded.

"Romance, romantic comedy, or horror?" she asked me, looking over her selection.

"I don't really like horror," I said. "But other than that, you pick."

She looked at several DVDs before picking one out. She popped it in, and I saw the Credits flash across the screen. Last Holiday. I had seen that movie.

"So," I said casually. "What's the deal with Edward?"

She grinned. "I was hoping you'd ask that. He was staring at you!"

I was shocked. "What?"

"He was! He even asked me about you once! You know, before that slut came back over."

"Wow," I said. "I know he's your brother and all, but…he is hot!"

She grinned. "You two would be so cute together!" she squealed.

"So, what's up with him and Tanya?" I asked. Alice frowned.

"Well, they went out a couple times last year. Actually, more than a couple times. It got semi serious, and then she got all needy. She would demand to know where he was at ever minute of the day. Then she started begging him to marry her!"

"She didn't!" I gasped. Alice nodded. "He dumped her after that. She still calls him all the time though." She made a face.

"Alice, can I ask you something without sounding rude?" I asked.

"Of course!" she said.

"What happened with you and your parents and Edward?"

She frowned. Then she sighed and said, "Well, when I was in high school, they were always big on grades and extracurriculars. College and all that. I didn't think much of it. Edward was their straight A son, who was on all the sports teams and all that jazz. I was just waiting to do something huge with my life."

She paused. "Then it came time for me to start applying for college. They would bring home applications for all kinds of Ivy League schools.. Medical school, Law School. I wanted to be in fashion! They couldn't wrap that around their heads though. They filled out the applications for me. They'd spent all of high school drilling into me the importance of college, so I had amazing grades and plenty of extracurriculars. I made it into Harvard Law School."

My eyes widened. "Harvard!?" I asked incredulously.

She nodded. "I went for a year, but it wasn't me! I did great in my classes, but I couldn't stand them. My parents refused to support me if I dropped out. I did anyway."

"After that, I came to live here with my sister Cynthia, who was a little more supportive. She helped me get a couple jobs selling clothes." She laughed. "None of those people could wrap their minds around a girl from Harvard Law School working at Macy's."

I nodded. I honestly got where she was coming from. "Well, at least you had a choice," I said.

She looked at me strangely. "What?"

I shrugged. "I'm not defending them, but your parents wanted what was best for you, and they at least gave you a choice."

"Yours didn't?"

I shook my head. "Nope. You see, I grew up with a lot of money. My parents were never home, and me and Emmett, we could get away with just about anything. He was really overprotective. When he turned eighteen, he started saving for college. He asked mom and dad to help him out, because, you know, college is expensive, and they kicked him out. Just like that. At least, that's the only side of the story I ever got. I was fifteen."

"Wow," Alice said. "I'm so sorry. After he practically raised you…" she trailed off.

I nodded. "I freaked. He moved to LA to go to school here, and I had no one. So I ran out to live with my grandma. My parents didn't even argue."

"They didn't even ask you to stay?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Nope."

"I'm so sorry," she said.

"Don't be. I'm not. I loved my grandma. I hated my parents. It's not like I was alone in the world. I had Grandma and my friends Angela and Ben. And now I have you."

"ANd Jasper and Edward!" she hurried to add.

I smiled. "I guess, but I don't really know them," I said, shrugging.

"Well, Jasper already likes you because you are a worse cook than him, and Edward…well, I have a feeling you and my brother are going to get along _very_ well." She grinned slyly.

I shoved her playfully. "Shut up!" I said.

"Well, you think he's good looking, don't you?" she asked.

"Just like anyone else with eyes would!"

"And, just like anyone else with eyes would, Edward has noticed that you, my dear, are gorgeous."

I rolled my eyes. Me, beautiful? Puh-lease.


	4. The One With The Slut

**I don't own Twilight, that would be Stephanie Meyer. I also don't own Teardrops on My Guitar. That would be Taylor Swift, but I used her song because it freaking rocks!**

-

-

-

**Edward's POV**

"So," I said casually, opening the fridge. "What do you know about this Bella chick?"

"She's Alice's roommate," he said. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah," I said, "But what else do you know?" I asked, pulling a plastic container out of the fridge and opening it to reveal leftover chicken. I popped it in the microwave.

"She just moved here, she works with Alice, she can't cook, and you like her," he said matter-of-factly.

"What!?" I asked. "I do not!"

"Geez dude, don't get all defensive. I'm not accusing you of murder, just of liking a hot girl."

"So…" I said. "She can't cook?"

He laughed. "You know how some people _don't_ burn Ramen Noodles?"

"They burned Ramen Noodles?" I asked incredulously. How do you even do that?

"Nope," he said. "They set them on fire."

I started laughing. My sister sure knew how to pick her friends. And yet somehow I found her inability to cook incredibly attractive…Bella, not Alice. That would be creepy.

"So, you think she's hot too?"

"Sure," he said. "But, you know, I'm kind of biased. I don't really look at girls other than Alice."

At first it was a little weird that my best friend was dating my little sister. But it had been three years now, and I was just as comfortable with it as they were. I was a little surprised he hadn't popped the question yet.

Then again, who am I to judge. I have no one. Yet. But there is this Bella, who I find myself increasingly attracted too…

**Bella POV**

I hadn't realized how long I'd been in LA until Angela called me. I had gotten into such a comfortable routine, that it didn't make any sense when she said:

"Okay, the month's almost gone by, I'm coming!"

"W-what?"

I could almost hear her face fall so hard it hit the ground. "You don't want me to come?" she asked.

I laughed. "Of course I want you to come!" I squealed. "I just hadn't realized how long it'd been! When are you coming?" I asked eagerly.

"Well, I bought the ticket a while ago, but I wanted to surprise you. My cab driver just asked me where you live."

I laughed and gave her my address. Then she hung up.

"Alice!" I yelled.

"Yeah?" she asked, coming out of her room.

"My friend Angela is coming!"

"When!?" Alice squealed already as excited as I was.

There was a knock at the door, and me and Alice started laughing hysterically. I opened the door to see Angela looking strangely at Jasper, who was talking to Edward, who was asking Angela who she was.

It sounded something like this:

Angela: Uh…hi?

Jasper: Do you think she forgot we were coming?

Edward: And you are?

Jasper: I'm Jasper!

Edward: Not you, her!

Angela: Her has a name!

Jaspr: What is it!?

I laughed loudly, distracting them.

"Bellsie!" Angela squealed, throwing her arms around me.

"Ange!" I cried. "It's been so long!"

"It's been a month!"

"I've never been away from your for more than a weekend!"

"I missed you!"

"Angela, this is Alice, her boyfriend Jasper, and her brother Edward. Everyone, this is my best friend Angela."

Everyone shook hands and said hello, and then Alice smacked her forehead.

"Oh, Bella!" she exclaimed. "By the way, the guys called to say they were coming over with Chinese food!" Everyone laughed.

We all grabbed plates and sodas and crowded onto our tiny couch. Jasper was on one end with Alice on his lap. Squished next to him was Angela, then me, then Edward, squished against the other end. I felt my face turn reed every time hi hand brushed against my thigh. Geez Bella, get a grip! So he gorgeous, you barely know him!

The phone rang.

"I'll get it, Alice and I said at the same time, and everyone stood up to let us up, causing us all to be jumbled together. After I tripped over Jasper, taking him down with me, Angela and Alice stopped to help us up, and Edward was the only one close to the phone.

"Hello?" he said.

There was a pause.

"Yes, just a moment." He set the phone down. "Bella, it's the hotel."

"Hello?" I said, picking up the phone.

"Bella? It's Sue."

"Oh, hi Sue," I said.

"Listen, Bella, you sing right?"

"Uh, yeah…" I said, unsure of where she was going with this.

"The singer in the lobby is sick, and she has a show tonight. A big, important show. I heard you singing in the break room the other day. Even with no music you were great. Could you please do it? Please? We'll pay you!"

I bit my lip. I didn't really like singing in front of crowds anymore. "How much" I asked.

"Two hundred dollars," she said. Wow, that singer gets paid good money.

"Ok," I said. "I'll do it."

She sighed in relief. "Oh thank you Bella," she said. "Could you come over now to make sure her dress fits you and do a quick rehearsal?"

"Sure," I said. Then we said goodbye and hung up.

"What did they want?" Alice asked.

"The lobby singer is sick," I said. "They want me to fill in for her."

"Wow Bella!" Angela said. "Singing has been your dream since like the second grade!"

I shrugged. "I kinda gave it up," I admitted. "But they're paying me, so…" I trailed off.

"Well, we should all go to the show," Edward said. I blushed.

"Yeah!" Alice and Angela said at the same time.

-

-

-

So here I was. On stage. In front of millions of people.

I rolled my eyes. Okay, there's only about fifty people here, but still, I was nervous. They'd given me the songs I was going to sing, and I'd practiced them nonstop until I was told it was time to go on.

I took a deep breath when I heard Sue starts to speak.

"Tonight many of you came to hear our normal singer, Victoria, but unfortunately she is sick tonight." The crown made a disappointed sound. "But," she said, "We have the Amazing Isabella McCarty, a new talent recently discovered!" The crowd clapped halfheartedly, except for a section near the back which was quite noticeable louder than the rest of the auditorium.

I took another deep breath and stepped into the spotlight.

The music started and the crowd was silent.

_Drew looks at me,_

_I fake a smile so he won't see,_

_What I want and what I need,_

_Everything that we should be,_

I hear a few intakes of breath. I wonder briefly what that meant.

_I'll bet she's beautiful,_

_That girl he talks about,_

_And she's got everything,_

_That I have to live without,_

A few people started talking quietly. Someone shushed them loudly from the back. I didn't dare look out into the audience for fear of what I might see.

_Drew talks to me,_

_I laugh 'cause it's just so funny,_

_I can't even see,_

_Anyone when he talks to me,_

_He says he's so in love,_

_He's finally got it right,_

_I wonder if he knows,_

_He's all I think about at night,_

Complete silence. I was sure that was bad. Crap, I'm doing horrible! My voice must be cracking, and I'm too nervous to even tell! Just keep going. I have to sing better. I tried my best.

_He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar,_

_The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star,_

_He's the song in the car I keep singing,_

_Don't know why I do,_

_Drew walks by me,_

_Can he tell that I can't breathe?_

_And there he goes, so perfectly,_

_The kind of flawless I wish I could be,_

_She better hold him tight,_

_Give him all her love,_

_Look in those beautiful eyes,_

_And know she's lucky 'cause,_

_He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar,_

_The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star,_

_He's the song in the car I keep singing,_

_Don't know why I do,_

_So I drive home alone,_

_As I turn out the light,_

_I'll put his picture down,_

_And maybe get some sleep tonight,_

'_Cause he's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar,_

_The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star,_

_He's the song in the car I keep singing,_

_Don't know why I do,_

_He's the time taken up but there's never enough,_

_And he's all I need to fall into,_

_Drew looks at me,_

_I fake a smile so he won't see._

Silence. You could hear a pin drop. I'm about to run off the stage crying, when Angela jumps up and starts clapping loudly. The rest of my friends follow suit, and soon the entire audience is on their feet, clapping and hollering and whooping. I look up, and the first face my eyes find is Edward's. He's looking at me…adoringly? No, not possible. My eyes are playing tricks on me because I like him so much.

Someone throws a flower at me. That's when I realize they're still applauding. Was I that good? Really? I grin wildly. Then I prepare my next song.


	5. The One With The Test

"Jasper!" Alice called from her bedroom.

"Yeah?" he asked

It had been a week since my performance at the hotel. It was amazing. The audience's reaction completely shocked me. I couldn't believe they thought I was that good! Sue had asked me to perform twice a week! I felt a little bad for Victoria, because she used to perform every other night, and I'm stealing two of her days, but yay for me!

"Jazzy will you go down to Walgreens and get me some-"

"No!" he yelled, knowing full well that the only thing she would want from Walgreens was either tampons or a pregnancy test. Then again, I don't think he knew about the freak-out test she took the other day. Her period was two days late and trust me, it was not a relaxing five minutes. She was freaking out. Alice wants children someday, but not until after she has a career and marries Jasper.

"Bella?" she called hopefully.

"Fine," I said. I grabbed my purse and headed down the street to Walgreens. When I got there, I walked toward the back, but accidentally ran straight into a tall blonde.

"Rosalie?" I asked.

"Oh, hi Bella," she said, and I could tell she had been crying. Then I realized what aisle we were in.

"Rose, you're pregnant!?" I half yelled/whispered.

She shrugged. "I'm four days late," she said. "I came to buy a test. Will you stay with me while I take it?" she asked, and I could see the desperation in her eyes.

"Of course!" I told her, Alice's tampons completely forgotten.

We bought the test and walked back to the apartment.

"Bella?" Alice asked from the bathroom. "Do you have any Midol?"

"Not now Alice!" I said loudly. Jasper looked at me strangely from the living room but shrugged and went back to watching TV. I wondered briefly if he even has a TV at his house, or he just really loves Alice that much that he'll sit out here on the couch while she's PMSing and having cramps.

We walked into my bathroom and I turned around while she peed on the little stick. I pulled out my cell phone to time it.

Minute One: Rosalie: "How do you think Emmett will react if it's positive? What if he's angry? What if he leaves me? What if-"

Minute Two: Me: "Rose, he loves you, and if you have a baby, then he'll love your little family more than anything, because the kind of great guy he is. And sure, maybe this is a little unexpected, but you guys are great together! You'll make it work!"

Minute Three: Rosalie: "Will you be the godmother? If anything ever happened to me or Emmett, I would want you to take care of the baby. I mean-Do you think it'll be a boy or girl!? What about names!? Ooh, I've always liked the name Eva."

Minute Four: Me: "Of course I would be the godmother! That would be amazing! I mean, you know you guys are the only family I have. And I'll be an aunt! Oh my god, I"LL BE AN AUNT!"

Minute Five: Silence. Neither of us said a word for the remaining 60 second. I was sure it was the longest sixty seconds of Rosalie's life.

"Time's up," I said nervously.

She picks up the stick and hands it to me. "You looks," she said. "I can't"

"It's negative," I said.

"N-negative?" she asked, her face showing about a million emotions. Not one of them was relief. "It's negative? As in, I'm not pregnant?"

I nodded, and she burst into tears. "But, I-are you sure? I was so sure-"

"Rose, it's positive."

"W-what?"

"I wanted you to know how you really felt about it."

**(AN: If you're wondering, yes I did totally steal that from Friends, Season 8! :P)**

"Bella, that was-Thank you!" she was crying again, but they were happy tears. I couldn't get past the sheer happiness in her eyes. She had been so nervous about what Emmett would say, and I know it had been risky, but I was sure she really wanted it, and I wanted her to know she wanted it.

"How are we going to tell Emmett?" I asked her.

She looked up at me hopefully. "We?" she asked in a small voice.

"Of course we! I'm in this with you!"

"I'm pregnant," she said in a faraway voice, staring at nothing.

"I'M PREGNANT!"

"Bella!?!?" Alice yelled, banging on the door. "What the HELL did you just say!?"

We opened the door, and I pointed to Rosalie. Alice's face, which had gone momentarily pale, filled with happiness. "Congrats!" she cried. Then her face fell in mock disappointment. "But how do you celebrate being pregnant?"

"What?" me and Rose asked at the same time.

Alice grinned at us. "Well, it's not a celebration without Tequila!" she yelled.

-

-

-

I called Emmett.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hey big bro!" I said.

"Hey Bell," he said.

"Hey, I'm here with Rosalie, and we want to go out to dinner tonight," I said.

"Uh, okay…" he said, sounding confused.

"With you, you idiot!" I said.

"Oh!" he said, and I could practically see him smack himself on the forehead.

"We'll meet you at the hotel restaurant in twenty minutes," I said. "I get a staff discount there."

He hung up. Rosalie looked at me worriedly. "How are we going to tell him?" she asked.

I pursed my lips, thinking. "Well, there's always the 'Oh, I'm not drinking' route."

She nodded. "Yeah, but knowing Emmett he wont get it right away," she said, laughing.

"You're right," I agreed, laughing with her. "With Emmett, it's probably best to just say it and get it over with, then hope for the best."

So here we are. Sitting at a table, Me and Rose on one side of the table, Emmett on the other.

"So, Emmett," Rosalie said. "How was your day today?"

"It was good," he said, looking at us suspiciously. "If you guys are going to tell me something, just say it."

We sighed simultaneously. "Well, Emmett," I said. "Rosalie has some good news." I tried to subtly emphasize the word good for Rose's benefit.

"Emmett," she said slow. "Emmett, I…I'm…How do I say this…?"

"Emmett, Rosalie is pregnant," I said. She grabbed my arm.

His eyes widened and he seemed to be staring at nothing. "Pregnant?" he asked in a far away sounding voice.

"Yes."

"You mean like, in nine months, there's gonna be a little…baby…at our apartment?" he asked, in the same faraway vioce.

Rosalie gulped. "I knew you'd be upset," she said, bursting into tears.

That snapped Emmett out of it real quick. "Upset?" he asked, "Why would I be upset!?"

"You aren't?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Rose," he said. "This is amazing! This is the most amazing things that's ever happened to us!" He grinned. Then he walked around the table and wrapped her up in a big bear hug.

She laughed. "You're really happy?" she asked.

"Thrilled!" he said.

I looked at them as they sat there for a moment, their arms around each other, and I felt that same stab of pain that I had over a month ago at Angela's house. _Why can't that be me? _I asked silently. I want a family. When's my turn?

I shook my head. This was Rosalie and Emmett's time. I was sure I'd get my turn soon enough.

-

-

-

It was later that night. Emmett and Rosalie had gone home after Rose thanked me a gazillion times for being there when she took the test.

"Alice?" I called.

"Yeah?" she asked back from her room.

"Can I borrow your black mini skirt?"

Alice was in my room faster than I could say, "Ih".

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, I was thinking, I've got a steady paycheck, and I'm doing something I really love, singing, and I've got an awesome apartment with a great roommate. So I was thinking I'd go out tonight. Have some fun."

"My Bella's growing up!" she cried, placing a hand on her heart. I rolled my eyes.

"Can I borrow it or not?" I asked.

She nodded. Then she stopped. "I left it at Jasper's apartment," she said, looking…thoughtful? No, must be my imagination.

"That's okay," I said, "I can find something-"

"No!" she cried. "That skirt is amazing on you! On your way out, you can stop by there!"

I shrugged. "Okay," I said.

"But first let me fix you up!" she said, grinning like the evil little pixie she is.

I sighed. "Fine," I said.

A half hour later, after having my hair curled and my make-up applied "flawlessly", I left the house, wearing jeans and a red tank top.

When I got to Jasper's apartment, I knocked, then waited. The door opened, revealing Edward.

"Hi Edward," I said.

"Hi Bella," he replied.

"I just stopped by to get something Alice left here," I said.

"You look beautiful," he said. I stopped breathing. For a moment, I forgot how. Then I blushed and said, "Thanks."

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah," I said. "I'm not really sure yet, I just wanted to do something fun."

He nodded thoughtfully as he helped me search for Alice's skirt.

Suddenly he made a strange squeaking noise and flung something across the room.

I looked at him quizzically, but he was busy covering his eyes. I looked and saw that it was a red thong. I started laughing uncontrollably. I can see how that would be weird for Edward, Alice _was_ his sister.

Finally I found the skirt and changed in the bathroom. When I came out, Edward looked at me, biting his lip.

"What?" I said.

"Well," he replied, "I was just thinking, you look so beautiful, it's a shame your going out all by yourself."

I smiled. "Yeah, well, there's a problem with the people in Los Angeles. Most of them don't know me."

He laughed. "Well, I know you," he said.

"Wow," I said. "That's so funny, 'cause I know you too!"

He laughed. "Do you want to go out? I mean, with me? I know this great little restaurant just down the street." He was looking at his feet and blushing.

"I'd love to," I said. And I really meant that.


	6. The One With A Proposal

**Edward's POV**

The phone rang.

"Jasper, can you get that?" I called from my room.

"Hello?" I heard him say in the living room.

"Alice," he groaned. I laughed.

"Fine. And for the record, I did notice!"

What? Oh well, it's probably nothing important.

"Edward?" Jasper called from the living room.

"Yeah?" I said, walking into the room.

"You like Bella, right?" he asked. "And don't deny it!"

I looked at the ground and blushed.

"That's what I thought," he said with a smirk. "Well, today's your lucky day."

"What?" I asked, looking up at him."

"Bella's stopping by," he said. "Alice left something here and Bella wants to borrow it. Alice said that she wants to go out, but she's going by herself. Being Alice," he rolled his eyes, "she sees this as an opportunity. So she wants me to leave so when Bella stops by you can ask her out."

"What!?" I yelled. "I'm way to nervous to do that!"

Jasper threw is hands up in a don't-blame-me-for-your-problem gesture. I sighed.

Bella showed up about ten minutes after Jasper left. I offered to help her look for the skirt she apparently wanted to borrow from Alice.

While we were looking, I felt something strange. I lifted it up, and in my hand was a red thong. I gasped and flung it across the room, covering my eyes. It was silent for a moment before Bella started laughing hysterically.

I joined in, and eventually we calmed down and she found the skirt. She changed in the bathroom, and when she came out, I blurted out the first thing I thought.

"I was just thinking, you look so beautiful, it's a shame you're going out all by yourself."

Too freaked out that I actually said that out loud, I don't even remember what we said until I heard "I'd love to," and I realized that I had just asked out Bella McCarty.

-

-

-

"You got home late last night," Alice said with a smirk.

"Oh really?" I asked. "I guess I didn't realize. I was having a lot of fun."

"Where did you go?" she asked.

"Well, you know how I went to get your skirt?' I asked her. She nodded. "Well, Jasper wasn't there, but Edward was, and after we looked for the skirt, and your brother was mentally scarred for life after accidentally touching your thong," Alice's face went red, "he asked if I wanted to go out to eat!"

She gasped, grinning. "He actually did it!" she squealed.

"Wha-" I began, then something hit me. "You set that up!?"

She nodded, grinning like an idiot.

"well I-really should yell at you, but thanks!"

She squealed again. "I knew you guys were perfect for each other!" she screamed.

I grinned. "You really think so?" I asked.

"Of course!" she said. "Now, we can gossip about my brother later, I have bigger news!"

"Really?" I asked mockingly. "Bigger than you being right about me and Edward?"

She reconsidered. "Well, that's a very close second. Anyway, this lady, Madame Chiffon, although I don't think that's her real name, does a lot of designing her in LA, you know, making clothes and purses and shoes. And I'm her new assistant!"

I gasped, and she squealed _again_.

"This is so weird," I said.

"What?" she asked. "This is great!"

"Yeah, of course, but I mean, think about it. Three months ago, you were jobless and not able to afford the apartment you were living in. I was alone in LA, and broke, homeless, and jobless. Now we both have practically our dream jobs, a house, friends, and you have a boyfriend!"

"We both have boyfriends," she said, giggling.

"We went on one date!" I told her, but I couldn't stop grinning.

"Yeah, but you totally clicked! You guys like each other! Admit it!"

"Okay, I like him! A lot."

"Yes!" she yelled, jumping up on the couch.

Just then there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," I said, getting up. Standing outside my door was Emmett, looking nervous. I let him in.

"Hey Emmett," Alice and I said at the same time.

"Uh, hi. Look, I need your guys' help with something."

"With what?' I asked, sitting on the couch.

"I…kinda…want…I need to…How do I propose to Rose?"

"Aw!" me and Alice chorused. Emmett's face turned red.

"Why do you need our help?" I asked. "You get down on one knee, it's not hard."

He looked at the floor. "I have to do something special. I want her to know that I really love her, because if she thinks I'm proposing because she's pregnant, she'll say no."

"Ah," I said, nodding.

Then I got an idea. "Ooh!" I exclaimed, then I explained it to them.

-

-

-

"Okay," I said to the audience at my next show. "This song is dedicated to Rosalie Hale, from her loving boyfriend, Emmett."

The crowd "Aww"ed. Then I started.

_We were both young when I first saw you,_

_I close my eyes,_

_And the flashback starts,_

_I'm standing there,_

_On a balcony in Summer air,_

_See the lights,_

_See the party, the ball gowns,_

_See you make your way through the crowd,_

_And say hello,_

_Little did I know,_

_That you were Romeo , you were throwing pebbles,_

_And my daddy said stay away from Juliet,_

_But I was crying on the staircase,_

_Begging you please don't go, and I said,_

_Romeo take me, somewhere we can be alone,_

_I'll be waiting,_

_All there's left to do is run,_

_You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess,_

_It's a love story,_

_Baby just say yes,_

_So I sneak out to the garden to see you,_

_We keep quiet, 'cause we're dead if he knew,_

_So close your eyes,_

_Escape this town for a little while,_

'_Cause you were Romeo,_

_I was a scarlet letter,_

_And my daddy said stay away from Juliet,_

_But you were everything to me,_

_I was begging you please don't go,_

_Romeo take me, somewhere we can be alone,_

_I'll be waiting,_

_All there's left to do is run,_

_You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess,_

_It's a love story,_

_Baby just say yes,_

_Romeo save me they're trying to tell me how to feel,_

_This love is difficult,_

_But it's real,_

_Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess,_

_It's a love story,_

_Baby just say yes,_

_I got tired of waiting,_

_Wondering if you were ever coming around,_

_My faith in you was fading,_

_When I met you on the outskirts of town,_

Here Emmett led Rosalie to the front of the stage. She looked confused, but she didn't argue.

_And I said,_

_Romeo save me, I've been feeling so alone,_

_I keep waiting for you but you never come,_

_Is this in my head, I don't know what to think,_

_He kneeled to the ground and pulled out a ring,_

Emmett kneeled down, pulling out a ring, just as the song said. Rosalie gasped.

_And he said,_

Emmett spoke the next part of the song:

_Marry me Juliet, You'll never have to be alone,_

_I love you and that's all I really know,_

_I talked to your dad, you'll pick out a white dress,_

_It's a love story,_

Rosalie surprised everyone by singing the last line as he said it,

_Baby just say yes._

Then she kissed him as I sang:

_Oh, oh,_

_Oh, oh,_

'_Cause we were both young when I first saw you._

The crowd "Aww"ed again, and I wiped a tear from my eye.

-

-

-

That was my last song, so after that I ate dinner with Emmett and Rosalie, who asked me to be her maid-of-honor.

"Wow," I joked, "Sister of the groom, maid-of-honor, godmother, I pretty much do it all!"

They laughed, and the rest of the night was fun.

But when I got back home, I felt that familiar sadness for the third time. I rolled over on the bed, realizing how lonely it was. I looked at Alice, so happy with Jasper, waiting for him to pop the question any day now, and Emmett and Rosalie, getting married, and Angela and Ben living together, and I couldn't help but wonder, when is it going to be my turn? And who with?

But I couldn't keep asking myself the second question, because I knew the answer. I wanted it to be Edward. I had only been out with him once now, but he was amazing. When we went to dinner, I realized how much we had in common. We both loved classical music. He plays piano! We both love to read. And he's just so great. And so good looking! He's perfect.

Now I just had to make it happen. Because I honestly had everything else I wanted out of life. Friends, a job singing, a nice place to live. But there was this hole in my heart where I wanted my family. My husband and kids. I didn't want to wait any more.

There was one way to find out if he shared my feelings.

And with that, at eleven o'clock at night, in sweats and an old tank top, my hair in a messy bun, with only flip flops on my feet, I ran all the way to Edward's apartment and knocked loudly on the door.

"Bella?" he asked sleepily when he opened the door.

"Do you like me?" I asked.

"W-what?"

"Do you like me? Because I like you. A lot. And I don't want to waste my time if-"

But I didn't get to finish my sentence, because my lips were a little busy.


	7. The One Where Alice Is Pissed

_E talked all_ night.

From eleven to eight we sat on his couch and talked.

Okay, sometimes talking got boring and we made out, but mostly we talked.

We talked about everything. At first we discussed both liking each other and being too naïve to realize it. Then we tried to figure out who liked who first. We argued about it for a while, but it ended in us making out. Then we discussed life, and out childhoods, and our siblings.

I think I fell asleep first. I think it was about eight in the morning, but I'm not sure. What I am sure about is that when Jasper walked into the living room at ten, he went, "Whoa!" effectively waking me up, al I realized I had been asleep, leaning against Edward's chest, his arms around me.

"Oh, hey Jasper," I said at the same time as Edward said, "Way to go Jazz," under his breath. I laughed. Then I sat up, pulling Edward with me.

"It's a good thing this is my day off," I said.

Just then the phone rang.

"Hello?" I heard Jasper say from the kitchen.

He laughed. "It's fine Alice, she's here."

There was a strange squeaky noise from the phone, and Jasper held it away from his ear.

"No!" he exclaimed. "I found them asleep on the couch. Fully clothed." Edward and I rolled our eyes.

"Yeah, okay, love you too," he said.

"Alice is coming over," he told us, walking into the living room. Edward and I groaned simultaneously.

Jasper nodded knowingly.

A couple minutes later, Alice burst through the door. Of course, we could pretty much hear her squealing as soon as she was outside the building. She got in and practically crushed us in a hug. Who knew a person that tiny could be so…well, painful.

"I knew it," she sang. Yep, sang. "I knew it, didn't I know it Jasper?"

"Uh-huh," he said.

"Don't you placate me!' she said, looking at him angrily.

"What?" he asked.

"You just say, uh-huh like that! You do it all the time instead of just giving me your opinion! It's infuriating!"

And with that she stormed out.

"What the hell!?" Jasper acclaimed as soon as she was gone.

"Dude, I don't know, but she sounded pissed," Edward remarked.

I cleared my throat.

"Do you know why she's angry?" Jasper asked me.

"I think so," I said.

"Well, why!?" he asked.

"Because Emmett proposed to Rosalie," I said, matter-of-factly.

Jasper looked lost. I sighed. "You guys have been dating for three years," I said. "Emmett and Rosalie have been dating for less than one. She loves you, and she doesn't understand why you haven't popped the question already."

Jasper looked confused, and Edward looked very impressed.

"She wants to get married?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Duh," I said.

"You mean, I've been keeping this in my drawer for half a year for no reason at all!?" he cried, walking into his room and coming out with a ring box. I gasped.

"You've had that for six months!?" I cried. Edward's eyes popped out of his head.

"I thought she'd say no," he muttered, embarrassed. "So you mean, I can ask her now, and she'll say yes?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not that easy," I said.

His face fell. "What!?" he asked.

"You see, she'll say yes, but she won't be…look, she helped me plan how Emmett proposed to Rosalie. She wants a romantic, unexpected proposal. You have to do something amazing."

He groaned. "How do I _do_ that!?" he asked.

"You want some help?" I asked.

He looked at me sheepishly. "Yes please."

I sighed. Then a plan began to form in my head.

-

-

-

It had been almost two months since Emmett proposed to Rosalie. She had most of her wedding planned out, and the date was set for two months, because she wanted to have it before she started to look really pregnant.

Jasper was impatient to put our plan into action, but I told him he had to wait a while after Emmett and Rosalie got engaged, or else Alice wouldn't have her own shining moment. And Alice, being Alice, wouldn't want to share it with Rosalie.

But today was the day. The four of us were going to have a picnic in a meadow Edward had found hiking one day. It was gorgeous. But it as a long hike there.

I watched as Alice and Jasper sat about forty feet away from us and Jasper, angling the basket away from Alice, opened it. "Oh shit," he said, and I grinned.

"What?" Alice asked worriedly.

"I…sort of…I forgot to pack the food," he admitted sadly.

"You did _WHAT NOW_!?" she asked. "After I hiked all this way!?"

"I'm so sorry Alice," he said. :W-will this be okay?" he asked, presenting her with a bouquet of roses, held together in the middle by the diamond ring Jasper had now had for eight months.

She gasped. Then there was silence, then a muffled giggle as she tackled him. "Is that a yes?" I heard him ask from under her.

"That is a 'took you long enough'," she said, laughing.

I smiled, sneaking a glance at Edward. Unfortunately, he snuck a glance at me at the same time, and I was caught. Then I realized something. There was only one reason for him to glance at me like that at that moment. Our eyes met and stayed there for a moment, before I grinned. He was thinking the same thing I was. That's going to be us.

I thought of something. Aw. His proposal wouldn't be as good as Rose's and Alice's. They had my help. He won't. Ah well, it'll still be amazing.


End file.
